Tracer Synergies and Matchups

Table of Contents

• +Introduction
  • 1. Tracer Overview
  • 2. Tracer's Strengths
  • 3. Tracer's Weaknesses
  • 4. Tracer Synergies
  • 5. Tracer Counters
  • 6. Tracer Is Strong Against
  • 7. Tracer TL;DR Tips
  • 8. Reading Further for Tracer
  • 9. Changelog
• +Abilities and Strategy
  • 1. Tracer TL;DR Tips
  • 2. Tracer Abilities
    • 2.1. Pulse Pistols
    • 2.2. Blink
    • 2.3. Recall
    • 2.4. Pulse Bomb
• +Playstyle
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Tracer's Offensive Combos
  • 3. Harassing with Tracer
  • 4. Tracer's Defensive Maneuvers
  • 5. Using Tracer's Pulse Bomb
  • 6. Changelog
• ×Synergies and Matchups
  • 1. Tracer's Synergies
    • 1.1. Zarya & Tracer
    • 1.2. Winston & Tracer
    • 1.3. Genji & Tracer
  • 2. Tracer Counters
    • 2.1. McCree & Tracer
    • 2.2. Moira & Tracer
    • 2.3. Brigitte & Tracer
  • 3. Tracer Is Strong Against
    • 3.1. Bastion & Tracer
    • 3.2. Zenyatta & Tracer
  • 4. Changelog
• +Maps
  • 1. Best Maps for Tracer
    • 1.1. Tracer on Temple of Anubis
    • 1.2. Tracer on Hanamura
  • 2. Worst Map for Tracer
    • 2.1. Tracer on Watchpoint: Gibraltar

On this page, we list the good and bad matchups for Tracer. More specifically, we list the heroes that Tracer synergizes well with, the heroes that counter Tracer, and those that Tracer is strong against.

The other pages of our Tracer guide can be accessed from the table of contents on the right.

Due to her ability to shield Tracer from attacks, and the power combo of Tracer's Pulse Bomb with Zarya's Graviton Surge, Zarya is arguably the tank complement for Tracer's kit.

Following closely behind Zarya as the best tank with Tracer, Winston works well with Tracer because he can dive in with her using Jump Pack, and is able to increase her survivability by dropping his Barrier Projector. Additionally, his sheer size can distract enemies from Tracer while she secures kills and puts out major DPS.

When working in tandem with Genji, these two flankers can put out some serious damage on unsuspecting enemy supports and DPS heroes. With Genji's automatic 50 damage from Swift Strike mixed with his deadly close range Shurikens, Genji is the perfect janitor for Tracer's damaged enemies. Additionally, Genji's Dragonblade is an excellent stutter ultimate to Tracer's Pulse Bomb, meaning that each hero should use their ultimate independent of the other. Between Pulse Bomb picks or Dragonblade kills, the enemy team will have a difficult time grouping up and getting things done.

McCree's playstyle directly opposes Tracer's. A patient DPS who looks for devastating headshots, one McCree headshot can leave Tracer with 10 health. When used with his trusty Flashbang, Tracer will be hitting the dusty trial back to the respawn room. As Tracer wants to close in on McCree's position, his Flashbang keeps her at bay, forcing her to take a fight from a distance, which gives McCree the advantage. However, once McCree's Flash bang is used, Tracer can cautiously push in to punish the Cowboy for not respecting her pistols.

Moira is a support that strikes terror into a Tracer's heart. Her ability to self-heal through Tracer's damage by utilizing Biotic Grasp (RMB)'s auto-locking mechanic is a frustrating prospect for a hero who thrives on taking out supports. Additionally, Moira can drop Pulse Bombs that are latched onto her character by using Fade. If that were not enough, Moira's slender frame and small head gives Tracer an annoyingly small target to hit, making Moira one of the most difficult supports for Tracer to one-clip.

Brigitte is a fantastic counter to Tracer for a number of reasons. First, Brigitte's hit points are the highest of any healer, making her a difficult target to duel. Additionally, her 50 armor and her Barrier Shield also make her a difficult pick for Tracer's Pulse Pistols. If Tracer does attempt to attack Brigitte, she must be careful of her Shield Bash, Rocket Flail, and Whip Shot ability chain, as it deals mortal damage to Tracer before she has a can Blink away. Lastly, Brigitte's Rally gives her whole team armor, a direct counter to Tracer's normal damage output.

While Tracer is not extremely strong against Bastion without her ultimate, her ability to work up a Pulse Bomb and throw it on a Bastion sitting on a payload is one of the easiest ways to deal with a team composition trying to ride Bastion to victory. Since Bastion has to sit in Configuration: Sentry to be effective, Tracer can quickly Blink to his location and drop off her present, sometimes scoring multi-kills if supports are rallied around the robot and fail to move in time.

Tracer is one of the best characters to counter a Zenyatta. Her mobility mixed with her significant damage, compounded with his lack of escapes and self-heals, can lead her to destroying Zenyattas who are left to their own devices. However, Tracers do need to fear Zenyattas who are quick to respond to her dives, as an Orb of Destruction headshot on a Orb of Discord target deals a whopping 120 damage, effectively putting Tracer at 30 health. Despite this, Zenyatta is a prime candidate for Tracer's Pulse Bomb, as his character has a hard time getting away from a well placed explosive.

Additionally, Tracer can bait out Zenyatta's Transcendence at inopportune moments by sticking him with a Pulse Bomb, forcing Zenyatta's team to go without their massive AoE heal in the next team fight. What is more, Pulse Bomb's 400 damage can be used in conjunction with ultimates like Zarya's Graviton Surge or Reinhardt's Earthshatter to counteract an enemy Zenyatta's Transcendence. Typically Zenyatta will use Transcendence when an enemy Graviton Surge catches an enemy team. However, since Tracer's Pulse Bomb deals its damage in one big explosion, anyone who has under 400 health and is caught in the Graviton will die regardless of Zenyatta's Transcendence. To put it simply, Pulse Bomb counters an enemy Transcendence when it counters ally ultimates like Graviton Surge.

About our Author

Mournflakes is a flex Grandmaster Overwatch player who boasts a career high SR rating of 4433. His favorite heroes are Roadhog, Soldier: 76, and Ana. He has played Overwatch since its initial release, and has put over 700 hours into competitive play. When not writing guides, you can catch Mournflakes streaming on his Twitch channel.

• 22 Oct. 2018: Removed Torbjorn from Counters following his rework.

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